Fordyce area remembers ‘Bear’ Bryant
How many small towns in southeast Arkansas can boast of a native son appearing on a U.S. postage stamp? In all likelihood, Fordyce alone holds that distinction. The University of Alabama’s Paul “Bear” Bryant was raised in and around Fordyce in the 1930’s.
This Sept. 11 would be world-renowned college football coach Bryant’s 108th birthday. Coach Bryant built his monumental winning reputation during several successful decades, first at Texas A & M and then later, more famously at the University of Alabama. Bryant became head coach for
Alabama in 1958 and led the Crimson Tide to six national championships in 1961, ’64, ’65, ’73, ’78 and ’79. His overall record upon retirement in 1982 was 323-85-17.
His until recently unmatched and legendary career stemmed from humble origins, beginFarm-raised
ning on the gridiron of the small south Arkansas burg of Fordyce. Although slight in population, Fordyce has long been known as large in “heart” when it comes to football heritage. This, perhaps, is why Fordyce’s sports mascot, the tiny redbug, a minuscule, eightlegged woodlands predator known for its oft-aggravating tenacity, is such an apt representative of the community labeled by then-Gov. Mike Beebe, as “Arkansas’ cradle of coaches.”
To recognize and honor the legacy of Coach Bryant and Redbug football, Redbug Field was renamed Paul “Bear” Bryant Stadium.
In addition, Fordyce’ Dallas County Museum has the Dallas County Sports Hall of Fame located on the corner of Second Street and Main Street. The floor plan for the gallery takes a page from the Tuscaloosa “Bear” Bryant Museum playbook, following a flowing inward movement from the entryway with plexiglass cabinets lining either wall containing various athletic displays. Exhibits hold such impressive artifacts as a Super Bowl ring, a Presidential Medal of Freedom award, historic professional football jerseys and assorted championship game balls.
Then, as visitors make their way further into the heart of the finely furnished facility, they find themselves face to face with the prominently featured, larger than life, bronze bust of Coach Bryant himself, donning his signature hounds-tooth fedora. The bust is a replica of one on display in Tuscaloosa and a gift to the people of Dallas County from the University of Alabama.
Coach Bryant’s portion of the Hall of Fame contains numerous photos and display cases bearing all variety of “Bear” memorabilia well worth the effort of any “Tide” fan making Fordyce a destination to behold.
Tucked away near the rear of the impressive football mecca, one can find a life-size, stuffed brown bear, standing on hind legs, toothy mouth agape. Opposite the bear is an overall-clad manikin representing Bryant himself involved in the episode that famously earned the “Bear” his well-known moniker. The oft-told story occurred in the Lyric Theatre located directly across Main Street in what is now Benton Hardware store.
In a longtime, hotly-contested rivalry on Friday night Aug. 27, Bear Bryant’s hometown of Fordyce bested Rison 20-16 in a close contest that went down to the final seconds. This week is a bye week for the Redbugs, so Head Coach Tim Rogers had a few moments to discuss season prospects.
“It is probably going to be a lot harder to match our 132, 2019 and 15-0, 2020 records that led to back-to-back AA Championships because we have so many new kids,” the coach said. “Against Rison we made a lot of mistakes we shouldn’t have been making. We coaches have to go after these issues in practice to make sure we overcome our shortfalls.
“On top of that,” Rogers continued, “we’ve got to try to stay healthy. There are only nine skilled players that will be required to play the whole year. That, of course, worries us. When junior high season ends, we’ll move up some talented ninth graders that will contribute to special teams and be able to fill in if anyone is injured. That’ll make a big difference in the outcome of late season games.
“We’ve probably got the biggest front line we’ve ever had and some good athletes. However, our juniors and seniors just haven’t had that much opportunity to play on Friday nights over the previous two seasons. Even so, some are stepping up and getting better every day. We just have to keep pushing them to make sure they hit their assignments.”
Fordyce faces Camden/ Harmony grove next Friday night Sept. 10 and Monticello the following Friday Sept. 17.